The Federal Government has opened the Commonwealth workers’ compensation scheme Comcare to more companies that want to self-insure.

It removes a moratorium imposed by the previous government in December 2007.

Companies can apply if they are in direct competition with a Commonwealth authority or former authority such as Telstra or the Commonwealth Bank.

Some 30 private companies, employing 161,000 full-time employees, are Comcare licensees, including Linfox, NAB and John Holland Group.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz says Comcare self-insurance enables companies to have a single workers’ compensation arrangement nationally, reducing compliance costs for businesses operating across states.

Unions say the decision could reduce income to the state systems, increasing pressure for premium increases by the state pools.